First NAME: CYMONE GOREE

SOCIAL MEDIA HANDLE(S):
INSTAGRAM: @LUVMONIELUV

CHECKING IN FROM: RICHMOND, CA – THE GOLDEN STATE!

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A WAVIE FOR? BEGINNING OF 2021.

WHO INSPIRED YOU TO START WAVING? DID THE BIG CHOP IN 2019 BECAUSE I WAS OVER WAKING UP AND PUTTING MY HAIR IN A PONY TAIL. I STARTED WEARING A CURLY FRO, BUT BY THE MIDDLE OF 2020 I HAD CUT IT ALL OFF.

IT WAS HERE WHEN I STARTED TO REALIZE I COULD BE A WAVIE. ESPECIALLY WHEN PEOPLE STARTED TO NOTICE. THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE PROCESS, MY DADDY WAS MY BARBER.

SOON AFTER, I BEGAN SEEING A PROFESSIONAL IN APRIL 2021, @SAMUELSHEAR, AND THE REST IS HISTORY. HE HELPED START MY WAVE JOURNEY, EVEN GIVING ME MY FIRST BRUSH!

WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO IN YOUR SPARE TIME? NO HOBBY IS TOO BIG OR SMALL!
I AM A PROUD PLANT MOM! WITH ABOUT 15 INDOOR PLANTS AND 9 OUTDOOR ONES!

DID YOU PREPARE YOURSELF FOR THIS NEW JOURNEY? I THINK ONCE I KNEW THIS WAS WHAT I WANTED [TO DO], IT WAS EASY TO TRANSITION. THE PREP TAUGHT ME TO BE COMPLETELY COMFORTABLE WITH MYSELF. TRUTHFULLY,  IT WAS THE BEST DECISION I EVER MADE!

WHAT ARE SOME HAIR PRODUCTS YOU USE TO KEEP THOSE WAVES RIGHT?: THIS IS ONE THING I’M EMBARRASSED TO ADMIT. I DON’T USE SPECIFIC PRODUCTS FOR WAVES. I USE OLIVE OIL FOR SHAMPOO AND CONDITIONER. FOLLOWED BY SHEA BUTTER TO KEEP IT MOISTURIZED.

WHAT MADE YOU DECIDE TO START YOUR WAVE JOURNEY?  REALIZING MY HAIR COULD [WAVE] WITHOUT MUCH WORK, I WAS DETERMINED TO PUT IN THE WORK FOR IT TO BE A SUCCESS.

HOW DID IT FEEL WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED SEEING PROGRESS? AMAZING! IT’S A MAGICAL FEELING TO SEE YOUR HAIR START TO WAVE AND CONNECT. IT MADE ME FEEL PROUD TO BE BLACK AND A WOMEN WHO CAN SUCCESSFULLY PULL THIS OFF.

IT’S WASH DAY! WHAT’S ON YOUR PLAYLIST? 90S R&B AND HIP HOP!

DID YOU HAVE ANY FEARS OR DOUBTS ABOUT WAVING? IF SO, WHAT WERE THEY?
AS A SINGLE WOMAN, I THINK MY ONLY FEAR IS NOT BEING PERCEIVED AS FEMININE. GAINING CONFIDENCE, KNOWING I’D NEED TO WORK HARDER TO SHOW IT—BECAUSE I HAVE NO HAIR TO HIDE BEHIND.

MY HAIRLINE IS BETTER THEN MOST MEN OUT HERE, AND I HAVE TO CONTINUE TO BE STRONG IN PRESENCE AND SELF LOVE!

HAS WAVING HELPED YOUR SELF-CONFIDENCE IN ANY WAY?  YES AND NO. [FOR ME], BEING PLUS-SIZED AND ABLE TO PULL OFF A SHORT CUT IS A BIG THING! PLUS LOOKING AMAZING AT WHAT MANY CLASSIFY AS A “MAN’S CUT” IS THE ICING ON THE CAKE. MY CONFIDENCE COMES IN, FEELING BEAUTIFUL IN WHAT PEOPLE DON’T UNDERSTAND.

WAS/IS THERE ANYTHING SIGNIFICANT ABOUT STARTING YOUR WAVE JOURNEY? DID IT SYMBOLIZE ANYTHING TO YOU? WEARING WAVES HELPED ME DISPLAY AND TAKE PRIDE IN MY BLACKNESS! I LOVE BEING BLACK AND REPRESENTING THE CULTURE THAT MY PEOPLE BROUGHT INTO THIS WORLD.

AS A COSMETOLOGIST, I KNOW THE IMPACT OF BLACK HAIR. YOU DON’T SEE A LOT OF WOMEN WITH WAVES. BEING ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY START MAKES ME APPRECIATE MY PEOPLE AND WHERE WE CAME FROM.

SPEAK TO THE WAVIE WHO’S ITCHING TO START THEIR JOURNEY, BUT ISN’T QUITE READY YET:
JUST GO FOR IT! IT’S A PROCESS, BUT THE END RESULTS ARE BEAUTIFUL — THAT’S THE MOST MAGICAL THING!